Meet the 2026 Awardee: Antonia P. Popova, MD
Antonia P. Popova, MD, is a physician-scientist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology at the University of Michigan Medical School. She directs the Clinical and Research Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Programs and the Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease Program at Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Popova’s research focuses on how the lung innate immune system contributes to chronic pulmonary complications after preterm birth, including BPD and the broader spectrum of prematurity-associated lung disease. Using preclinical and translational approaches, her team has identified novel mechanisms by which inflammatory stress and danger signals (damage-associated molecular patterns, DAMPs) prime and activate neonatal lung innate immune cells, amplifying inflammatory responses and promoting chronic respiratory disease. Her group has also demonstrated that naturally occurring and synthetic DAMP inhibitors can attenuate early-life innate immune priming and activation, offering a promising strategy to reduce airway inflammation in BPD.
Dr. Popova earned her medical degree in Bulgaria, supported by an annual scholarship for academic excellence. She completed pediatric residency at the Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center (an affiliate of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School), followed by pediatric pulmonology and research fellowships at the University of Michigan. Her research program has been supported by the National Institutes of Health. Her work has resulted in several invention disclosures, a patent, and numerous academic papers. She is a co-chair of the Steering Committee for the Neonatal and Developing Lung Interest Group of the American Thoracic Society. She has mentored trainees across multiple levels, many of whom have received undergraduate, graduate, and resident research awards. She is committed to advancing pediatric respiratory health through education, scientific discovery, and leadership in clinical application.
Description
The Pediatrics Assembly is pleased to announce the Robert B. Mellins, M.D. Outstanding Achievement Award, given to a candidate at the Instructor, Assistant Professor, or early Associate Professor level, who is recognized for achievement in scholarship or research achievements over the course of their career to date.
Criteria
- The candidate should be recognized for making seminal contributions to the science or practice of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine.
- The candidate should be recognized by their peers as an outstanding clinician and/or researcher, teacher and mentor.
- Contributions to the Pediatric Assembly in the form of Committee participation or Chairmanship will be viewed favorably.
- Candidates in Pediatric Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Neonatal Medicine all will be considered.